Rotating and reciprocating table top



Sept. 9, 1952 a. a. M NAMARA, JR

I ROTATING AND RECIPROCATING TABLE TOP Filed April 22, 1950 INVENTOR GORDON G, MC'NAMARA JR Patented Sept. 9, 1952 AND RECIPROCATING TABLE TOP ROTATING Gordon G. McNamara, Jr., Chicago, Ill. Application April 22, 1950, Serial No. 157,493

This invention relates to a support and more particularly to a rotating and reciprocating table top. More specifically the invention relates to an improved table construction especially suitable for supporting a unit such as a television receiver.

In the operation of television receivers it is extremely desirable to provide an adjustment for the console unit or for the table on which a receiver is mounted so that the television screen can be swung to a variety of positions for viewin at various angles. At the same time it is desired that the receiver and table are positioned sufiiciently close to the wall or adjacent furniture so that a minimum of space is used for the location of the receiver. Rotating circular table tops have been provided and these generally are satisfactory from the standpoint of viewing. These tops however being round or circular are undesirablylarge and necessarily in them-selves take up considerably more space than the rectangularly shaped receiver which is supported on the top. Thus excessively large floor space is required by such a circular top construction. A rectangular rotating top is of course the most desirable but the disadvantage with this construction is that the stand and top as a unit must be moved away from the wall to permit the top to rotate without interference with the wall. The disadvantages of moving the heavy stand and receiver are of course obvious and thus a construction of the above type is quite impractical. It is applicants prime object therefore to provide an improved table top which will completely eliminate the disadvantages apparent from the above constructions.

A further object is to provide an improved table top, the top having an improved construction whereby the top may be rotated and simultaneously reciprocated with respect to a supporting stand or frame.

A further object is to provide a rectangular table top, the top being rotatably supported on a sliding carriage, the carriage being moveable linearly with simultaneous rotation of the table top.

Still another object is to provide an improved rectangular table top, the top being rotatably mounted on a carriage which is positioned for relative reciprocatory movement on a stationary stand, the top being engageable with a guide member arranged to reciprocate the carriage during rotating movement of the top on said carriage.

These and further objects of the invention will 4 Claims. (01. 311-35 become more fully apparentfrom a reading of the specification when examined in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a table showing a table top in phantom lines to better illustrate a mechanism underneath the top.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a table shown in Figure 1, the view being taken substantially along the line 22 showing a table top in a certain rotated position.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line l--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing means for limiting or stopping rotationoi' atable top.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2 a support or table construction is generally designated by the reference character Ill. The support it! comprises a stand ll having upright legs l2 which support a frame l3. The frame [3 comprises forward and rearward spaced members l4 and [5 which are connected by laterally spaced horizontally extending braces I6. The braces it are suitably recessed to provide a forwardly and rearwardly extending tracks [1.

A roller carriage I8 is supported on the tracks ii. The carriage It comprises a beam I9 extending laterally with respect to the tracks IT. The beam 19 is supported at its ends by oppositely disposed rollers 20 which are contained by and journalled on straps 2i and angle brackets 22 suitably connected to the beam IS. The rollers 20. are carried by the tracks H and permit the carriage to slide and reciprocate on the flat horizontal surface of the frame It as presented by said tracks. r

A rectangular top 23 is positioned on the carriage E8. The top is rotatable on the carriage it; by means of a pivot pin 24 which is rigidly secured to the top 23 and is journalled in a vertical bore 25 extending through the beam 19. A cotter pin 25 extends through the pin 24 for re movably securing the pin 24 on the carriage [8.

The top 23 has a pair of guide elements or dowel .pins Zl' projecting downwardly from the top 23. The pins 21 are laterally spaced so that one pin 27 is disposed adjacent to each of the rearmost corners of the top.

A guide member generally designated as 28 is positioned on the frame l3. The guide member consists of a groove 29 cut in the member l5, this groove 29 extending horizontallyacross the In order to adjust the article carried on the top for better viewing or for any other reason that angular positioning is desired, the top 23 may be rotated without moving the stand ll away from the wall 33 or without changing its position in any way.

In the normal or non-rotated position of the top 23 both pins 21, are shown in sliding en-' gagement with the groove 29. The table top 23 is then rotated on its pivot 24 in a clockwise direction and one of the pins 21 moves out of the groove 29, one pin remaining in the groove. Upon continued rotation, the pin 21, in the groove, is moved in a straight line or linear direction at a right angle with respect to the direction of movement of the carriage I8, whereupon the carriage l8 and the table 23 are moved forwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure l whereupon an angular adjustment of the top of approximately 45 degrees is obtained. As rotation of the top is continued in the same direction for another 45 degrees, the carriage l8 and table 23 will now recede, or move rearwardly toward the wall 33. of the carriage is stopped when the pin 21 strikes or engages one end of the member 14 thereby limiting further clockwise rotation of the top, as best shown in Figure 5. In this extreme rotated position one side of the top 23 will be substantially parallel to and adjacent the wall 33, an approximately full 90 degrees of rotation having been obtained.

Since the top may also be rotated in the same manner-in a counterclockwise direction a full 180 degrees of movement may be had, the pins 2'! acting as stop to limit the rotation of the top at either extreme position.

The pins 2.! are laterally positioned and so arranged that one pin will always be in engagement with the groove 29 regardless of the position of the top 23 and thus complete control of movement of the .carriage I3 is obtained. In otherwords as one pin leaves the one end of the groove, another pin enters the groove at its other end.) During any rotation of the top the carriage is moved forwardly or rearwardly with the particular corner of the top which is adjacent the wall remaining constantly in the same proximity to said wall. It is clear therefore that the screen of a television receiver may be placed in a variety of angular positions without the necessity of moving the stand to provide proper clearance for any adjacent wall structure. The novel top is of course intended as adaptable for supporting any unit where angular adjustment of the same is desired without the necessity of moving the whole table structure. The term table is of course used in a broad sense since the principle above set forth may be used with any support where a, frame and table top are provided. The frame may be any flat surface and need not of course be supported by legs orconventional supporting means.

This rearward movement It is believed that a novel structure or support has been set forth, the structure including a novel combination whereby a rectangular table top may be rotated and simultaneously moved linearly to provide for clearance of the top with respect to adjacent structure. It must be understood that only a preferred embodiment has been shown and that changes may be made which do not depart from the spirit of the invention as disclosed and as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A table comprising a frame having a flat horizontally extending supporting surface providing a roller track, a roller carriage positioned on said track for relative reciprocation with respect to said frame, a table top, vertical pivot means pivotally connecting said table top to said roller carriage whereby the top may pivot about a vertical axis with respect to said frame, means for reciprocating said top and said roller carriage simultaneously with pivotal movement of said top comprising a guide member supported horizontally across said frame and a pair of laterally disposed pins projecting from the top, said pins being movable with the top in an arcuate path toward engagement with said guide member during rotation'of said top, at least one of said pins being in engagement with said guide member during any position of said top, the pin in engagement with the guide member being movable in a straight line direction across the frame, whereby said rotating top and said roller carriage are reciprocated in a direction at a right angle with respect to straight line direction of movement of the pin which is in engagement with the guide member.

2. A table comprising a frame having a flat horizontally extending supporting surface, a carriage supported on the surface for relative sliding movement, a rectangular table top rotatably supported on the carriage for rotating movement about a vertical axis, means for sliding the carriage and the top relative to the frame comprising a guide element connected ad-' jacent a pair of corners of the top, and a stationery guide member connected to the frame, said guide elements being rotatable with the top into engagement with the guide member whereby the guide elements are moved in a relatively straight line direction across the frame and said carriage is' simultaneously moved with top in a horizontal direction substantially perpendicular with respect to the direction of movement of the guide element in engagement with the guide member.

3. A table comprising a frame having a flat horizontally extending top including a track, a carriage supported in said track and adapted to reciprocate with respect thereto, a rectangularly shaped top supported on the carriage for rotating movement about a vertical axis, means for reciprocating said carriage during simultaneous rotation of said top comprising a guide member stationarily positioned and extending in a direction angularly with respect to the direction of reciprocation of said carriage, and guide elements connected to the top adjacent the guide member, said guide elements being adapted to engage the guide member during rotation of the p and be restrained by said guide member to move in a straight line direction angularly disposed with respect to the direction of reciprocat on of said carriage whereby said carriage and top are reciprocated. I

UNITED STATES PATENTS p Includes mea gageable Wlth the frame Number Name Date se and counter-clockwise ID- 379 730 Grooves Man 20 1333 998,056 Wadsworth July 18, 1911 5 1,133,599 WBlCh May 4, 1915 GORDON MCNAMARA, 1,717,235 Marmominer June 11, 1929 1,911,854 Somma. May 30, 1933 REFERENCES CITED 1 2,118,620 Orsenigo May 24, 1938 The following references are of record in the 2,332,291 Binz Oct. 19, 1943 file of this patent: 10 2,354,106 Cooper July 18, 1944 2,396,242 Binz Mar. 12, 1946 2,571,903 Loewi et a1. Oct. 16, 1951 

